Why are you encouraged to eat pasta when dieting?

Question

When I actually look how many calories are in pasta meals, even the low fat ones, there are loads! Plus they don't usually have any veggies in them so they can't be that healthy. Seems to me you are better off with the usual 'meat and two veg'.

I mean the ready meals, and those pre-packed pasta salads. They are always labelled as the 'healthy/diet option'

Answer 1

Where are you looking to see that dieters are encouraged to eat pasta? All I've seen is that you're NOT supposed to eat pasta or other refined carbs. Get a good healthy diet plan from Weight Watchers or any other reliable source, you will see it focuses on fruits and vegetables and lean meats, just as you've suggested.

Answer 2

It depends on the diet you are on. A HIGH carb diet would mean lots of pasta, fresh fruit, and fresh veggies. A LOW carb diet would mean limiting the fruit to two or three small servings a day, eating lots of fresh veggies (particularly ones with high fiber content...broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, celery etc) and lean meat (chicken...breast is best, fish high in omega 3 fats which are good). A high carb diet can do two things that would be BAD...raise your triglycerides, and cause your blood sugar to go awry...leading to type II diabetes.

Answer 3

I have never heard to eat pasta when you are dieting because it is high in calories. However, pasta can be great if you get whole wheat pasta. Personally I think it tastes better to. Also, I am dieting and I do eat pasta, because I am on Weight Watchers, and on that you can eat what you want, you just have to keep track of your points. Pasta is not bad if you are dieting, but remember everything is moderation.

Answer 4

I personally think that (and I love pasta) pasta and the starches are bad for dieting.

But if I do make it I use half as much and toss plenty of fresh broccoli flouettes into the pot to stretch it. But I do not use Tomato sauce, I use plenty of garlic and a little olive oil and a little parmesean.

Answer 5

I think it's because pasta fills you up. Pasta can be healthy, it depends what and how much you eat of it. You talk of pasta meals so are you referring to the pre-packaged ones in the supermarket or are you taking about recipes in books/booklets. If you made your own sauce with tomato, onion, garlic herbs and 1 teaspoon of oil and throw in as many vegatables as you wanted it would be extremely healthy.
I joined weight watchers last summer and they DO encourage you to eat pasta and rice on one of there plans you just have to sensible in what you eat with it and I lost two stones, so that is proof that pasta can be incorporated in your diet.

Answer 6

Absolutely. It is taking a long time for the message to get through that eating loads of pasta makes you fat, constipated and not very healthy (unless its wholemeal).

Answer 7

carbohydrates found in pasta and rice are slow release and therefore you dont feel hunger as quickly as if you ate say toast for breakfast. This therefore stops you from snacking in the day and aids weight loss 'but only as part of a calorie controlled diet' and all that jazz.

Answer 8

Don't even look at frozen or refridgerated pasta meals, they have a huge amount of calories from the processed sauces they add to them.

Stick to pasta and tomato based sauces that you've made from scratch, the calorie content will be tiny.

Answer 9

It's a slow-release carbohydrate. That means it will fill you up, and will burn off slowly, thus keeping you feeling full for longer. Bread, potatoes and rice will do the same. All in wholemeal is best.

Answer 10

I have never heard anyone recommend pasta for dieting unless its wholemeal pasta which i think is ok in small amounts.